DREAM Act

New York’s Catholic Church — How We Serve

Church Profile
The Church in New York State is as diverse and multicultural as any in the world, and contributes immensely to the spiritual life of the state, as well as being the largest non-governmental provider of health care, human services and education. Catholics represent the largest single religious faith in New York, numbering approximately 7.3 million out of a population of 19.3 million.

Encompassing these eight dioceses are more than 1,500 parishes and hundreds of schools, hospitals, nursing homes, Catholic Charities social service agencies and countless parish-based ministries. Some statistics on the work of the Church in New York State are below:

Education
The Catholic Church has been educating children in New York State for more than 200 years, providing a quality, values-based education and hope for a brighter future to children regardless of income, race, ethnicity or religious beliefs.

531 elementary schools

123 high schools

17,391 teachers

215,768 pre-K, elementary, and secondary students

420,000 Catholic public school students enrolled in parish catechetical programs

Human Services
The Catholic Charities statewide network serves persons of all faiths, colors and income categories through a multitude of agencies. More than 1.6 million individuals and families are provided help each year in areas such as:

Shelter and housing

Food pantries and kitchens

Clothing

Adoption

Pregnancy care

Immigrant assistance

Social supports

Mental health and addiction counseling

Foster care

Care for the abused

Health Care
Catholic health-care institutions provide holistic health services in an atmosphere of respect for the value and dignity of all human life, with special attention to the poor and vulnerable. Our ministries include:

28 hospitals with 8,300 beds, including three satellite campuses and 172 clinics, in which we annually experience 300,000 inpatient admissions, 600,000 emergency room visits, 800,000 outpatient visits, and more than $100 million in uncompensated care

54 nursing homes, with more than 10,000 beds accounting for nearly 4 million resident days